I’m super excited for today’s Musclecast since I’m going to talk with Jay Campbell, who is a successful real estate business owner, former fitness model, the guy behind the website called fabfitover40.com and most importantly he’s an expert when it comes to optimizing testosterone and Testosterone Replacement Therapy.

Jay has over 10+ years of of experience with testosterone optimization and he’s the man to talk to for all things testosterone and Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT).

And to raise the awareness of the importance of optimal testosterone levels even more, he’s about to release his book in the middle of July called The Definitive Testosterone Replacement Therapy Manual which will cover every everything you need to know about the topic of Testosterone Replacement Therapy.

I got a preview version of the book and let me tell you if you’re a man, you need to get this book, it’s so good.

The original interview is 1 hour and 40 minutes long and I thought that it would be a good idea to split it up into 3 parts in order for you to really get the most out of it.

The first part is available today. I’m going to release the second part on Tuesday, June 30th and the 3d part, I’m going to release it on Thursday, July 2nd so stay tuned.

Hope you enjoy today’s Musclecast, cause we sure did have fun making it! :)

And as always, questions and comments are always appreciated. Write them in the comments section below.

May the gains be with you,

Dejan

]]>http://nobrainermuscle.com/how-to-increase-testosterone-jay-campbell/feed/2HomeMade Muscle — How to Be Strong And Lean Without Going to the Gymhttp://nobrainermuscle.com/anthony-arvanitakis-musclecast/
http://nobrainermuscle.com/anthony-arvanitakis-musclecast/#commentsMon, 01 Jun 2015 12:03:53 +0000http://nobrainermuscle.com/?p=1170

1 major accident.

5 years nailed in bed.

13 operations.

1 leg amputation.

This is what happened to today’s Musclecast guest, Anthony Arvanitakis.

While delivering pizzas on his scooter, Anthony was involved in a traffic accident that costed him his leg.

And as if that wasn’t bad enough, during his recovery process–which lasted more than 5 years and involved 13 operations–he got fat, weak and depressed.

But that didn’t discourage him to quit on his dreams.

Nope.

Motivated by his lifelong passion for physical fitness and sports performance, Anthony decided that he’d get into the best shape of his life, using bodyweight exercises.

Zero excuses.

It took him 2 years, but now he’s built like a Greek God, all thanks to bodyweight training.

And in this Musclecast, Anthony is going to share with us how he did it, and how he manages to stay in tip-top shape year-round.

We’re going to talk about different topics, including:

How meditation can help you achieve your physique goals.

How Flexible Dieting can help you burn fat, without feeling miserable.

The best natural weight gainer (by Arnold Schwarzenegger)

In my own career, before there were as many commercial protein drinks (or bars) available as there are now, I always preferred to create my own drinks, since that way I knew precisely what was in them and what kind of nutritional benefit I was getting.

~Arnold Schwarzenegger

Arnold’s book is jam-packed with great advice and tips. And one of those tips is how to make the best natural weight gainer.

Each of the drinks below is made in sufficient quantity for 3 servings day, which are supposed to be drunk between breakfast and lunch, between lunch and dinner, and an hour or so before you go to bed.

And since the protein takes a while to digest, make sure to have the protein drink at least 1½ hours before your workout.

Level II

In a blender, place the milk, cream, eggs, and lecithin; blend for an instant. Wait several minutes for the lecithin granules to dissolve, then add the protein powder and blend until mixed. Flavor as in Level I drink, except that you can use as much as 2 tablespoons of fructose for sweetness.

]]>http://nobrainermuscle.com/natural-weight-gainer/feed/19How to Keep Working Out When You Get Into a Relationship (Every Guy Should Read This)http://nobrainermuscle.com/best-relationship-advice-for-men/
http://nobrainermuscle.com/best-relationship-advice-for-men/#commentsSun, 05 Oct 2014 13:55:22 +0000http://nobrainermuscle.com/?p=1018

Here’s a common question I get in my mailbox …

Dejan, how do you find the time to work out when you get into a relationship?

It looks like this is a big problem for most guys.

They can’t go to the gym often, because their girlfriends will give them hard time.

Been there, done that.

You see, the key to working out while being in a relationship, is to make sure you follow the 4 manly principles.

Fail to stick to these 4 manly principles and you’re going to become a fat slob.

Just like my friend Bob …

From fit to fat: The story of my friend Bob

Bob is a good friend of mine.

We’ve known each other since kindergarten and he’s just one of those rare persons with whom I just click. In elementary and high school, we were best friends. And even though both of us went to different colleges, we still managed to find time to hang out.

So, a few months into college, Bob complained to me that he gained a couple pounds of fat. And since summer was just around the corner, he asked me to teach him, how to gain muscle mass fast.

Next time he came back home for the weekend, I told him everything he needed to know to melt the belly fat away and build up his beach muscles.

I showed him the ropes and off he went.

Over the next few months, Bob did the workout routine I gave him with vigor, and he was able to get into the best shape of his life. He felt like a boss, dressed sharp and I was proud of him.

But when Bob got into a relationship, all his progress went straight down the gutter.

He became a fat slob.

He ditched working out to please his girlfriend. Instead of going to the gym, he stayed at home watching chick flicks and tv shows about gay dancers. In just a few months, he gained 22 pounds of pure fat, lost all sense of tidiness, and I believe that all that fat and laziness made him stupid.

And I kid you not, these were the first words that came out of my mouth, when I first saw him after a couple of months:

“Dude, what the hell happened to you?!?!? What’s with all this fat and s–t??”

This was his reply, word for word:

“Yeah, I know man! I let myself go, but when you’re in love, you lose interest for certain things. I’m spending time with my girl every day so there’s not a lot of time left for training and other stuff. It’s easy for you to do all these things … you’re single!”

I couldn’t believe what he was saying.

He sold his balls for pennies on the dollar. And in order not to feel bad about his fuck up, he came up with some stupid excuses that would ease the pain of his emasculation.

And I blew his single people have more free time excuse into oblivion a few months later, when I got into a serious relationship. I was in a relationship and I still had the time to:

Workout every day

Work on my website (which is a huge time and energy commitment)

Meet up with my buddies

And most importantly, spend time with my girlfriend.

If you don’t want to become a fat slob like my friend Bob (or if you’re already a fat slob and you want to break out of it), here’s what you need to do.

How to work out when you get in a relationship (The 4 Manly Principles)

Every single successful person I know, found (designed?) a way to make their relationship work for them and not vice versa.

If you’re wondering how you can be in a relationship and still get into the best shape of your life, here’s how I approach things.

Get the right girlfriend

I never liked the idea of going out to clubs to pick up women.

First of all, as an introvert, I get overpowered by the nightclub’s impulses—loud music, flashy lights, big crowd, etc. Second, the chances of me meeting a quality girl in a nightclub, are freaking slim.

I think that going to nightclubs is the dumb way of meeting women. I have to waste a ton of precious time to find a girl who’s worthwhile.

I hate wasting time, and that’s why I like to do things the smart way.

When I was single, I’d always go places where there’d be a high chance of meeting girls who’re into healthy living and exercising. Places like:

The gym

Yoga class

Healthy cooking class

CrossFit box

Kickboxing (that’s where I met my current girlfriend)

If you want to find a girl who will keep you motivated to workout and diet, then I recommend you check those places out.

But if you’re already in a long-term relationship, fret not. There is a way to make your girlfriend more supportive of your fitness goals.

You just need do this important thing…

Make working out a top priority

A couple of years back I made a solemn promise to myself:

Nothing will stand in the way of me and the gym. I’ll be lifting weights for as long as I live.

Ever since I pledged my allegiance to the Iron, not a single week has gone by without me lifting some steel. It’s my #1 priority.

When I started dating my girlfriend I told her—with my words and actions—that she’ll just have to accept the fact that training is my #1 priority. And because she knows how much strength training means to me, she’s fine with it. I believe that’s one of the main reasons, why we have such a great thing together.

And even if you’ve been in a serious relationship for a long time, it’s never too late to change your priorities.

Just join a gym, follow an awesome workout program and that’s it. No need to spill your guts to her about how you’re about to embark on this new quest. Just say that you’re going to the gym and let your actions do the talking.

You’ll see that after a couple of weeks, you’ll pull her into your new healthy lifestyle. All the sudden, she’ll be cooking you post-workout meals and she’ll lose a couple of pounds herself. That’s just how things go when you lead by example.

But if your girl isn’t supportive and gives you shit about you being more time in the gym than with her, then you have to…

Be willing to walk away

If your woman just won’t accept your healthy lifestyle, then you have to show her the door.

Nothing sobers up a woman like some good ol’ threat of dumping her.

If you show her that you’re willing to walk away, you’ll immediately regain the power position in the relationship. She’ll do anything you say, just to keep the relationship afloat. She’ll cook you healthy meals, stop giving you hard time for going to the gym, give you massages after your workouts, etc.

That is, if she cares about the relationship.

But if you let her know that you’re willing to walk away and she shows no remorse whatsoever, then you need to dump her sorry ass stat.

There’s plenty of other fish in the sea my friend. I’m sure you’ll find a better love match now that you’re throwing steel in the weight room and looking buff.

But Dejan, I’ve been with my girlfriend for X years, I can’t just walk away? I’ll just stop going to the gym if that’s what makes her happy.

Years of being in a relationship means diddly-squat to me. If a relationship turns sour after a couple of years, and you’ve done everything in your power to fix it, but without success, then leave ASAP.

But if you have no ounce of self-respect then go ahead and stop going to the gym.

BUT WATCH OUT: if you put your girlfriend on a pedestal, and you go out of your way to make her happy, she’s going to walk all over you. And after she’s beaten the last drop of manliness out of your body, she’ll leave you for another man.

Quality over quantity

I’m a busy man.

With my 9-to-5 job, working out, and building my own business, there’s not much time left for anything else during the week.

If I’m not done with my tasks for the day, it’s almost impossible for me to be present whilst talking to somebody. My attention always wanders off, to my to-do list. And it’s only after I’ve completed the most important tasks for the day that I can zone out.

I’d rather spend LESS time with my girlfriend, being present, then MORE time with her, unable to give her my undivided attention.

That’s why when weekend comes around, I do my best to finish the items on my to do list asap, so I can spend quality time with my girlfriend.

You see, for the most part of my life, I didn’t have a single ounce of self-confidence.

It all started when I was a scrawny kid and my peers would taunt me because of my lazy eye. Each remark/joke about my birth defect made me feel like I was something less. The jokes, and the negative self-talk that spawned from that, would chip away at my self-confidence levels.

So by the time I was in high school, any sign of self-worth I had, was washed away like tears in the rain.

Without any self-confidence armor on me, I was left open to attacks—I was bullied, frowned upon and humiliated, even by some teachers.

While others were enjoying the life and doing what normal teenagers do (socializing, first kiss, partying, etc.), I was locked in my own prison, wondering if life was worth living.

Things looked grim, until one day, I came across an essay called “Iron and the Soul”, written by Henry Rollins.

It was this essay that inspired my interest in strength training and to become the strongest version of myself. I could say that this essay saved my life.

Every time I read this, I feel this strong urge to go bench press a bus or squat with a boulder on my back.

If you need some motivation in your life, then I urge you to read this.

This essay by Henry Rollins was originally published in Details Magazine in 1994.

Iron and the Soul, by Henry Rollins

I believe that the definition of definition is reinvention.

To not be like your parents. To not be like your friends. To be yourself.

When I was young I had no sense of myself. All I was, was a product of all the fear and humiliation I suffered. Fear of my parents. The humiliation of teachers calling me “garbage can” and telling me I’d be mowing lawns for a living. And the very real terror of my fellow students. I was threatened and beaten up for the color of my skin and my size. I was skinny and clumsy, and when others would tease me I didn’t run home crying, wondering why.

I knew all too well. I was there to be antagonized. In sports I was laughed at. A spaz. I was pretty good at boxing but only because the rage that filled my every waking moment made me wild and unpredictable. I fought with some strange fury. The other boys thought I was crazy.

I hated myself all the time. As stupid at it seems now, I wanted to talk like them, dress like them, carry myself with the ease of knowing that I wasn’t going to get pounded in the hallway between classes. Years passed and I learned to keep it all inside. I only talked to a few boys in my grade. Other losers. Some of them are to this day the greatest people I have ever known. Hang out with a guy who has had his head flushed down a toilet a few times, treat him with respect, and you’ll find a faithful friend forever. But even with friends, school sucked. Teachers gave me a hard time. I didn’t think much of them either.

Then came Mr. Pepperman, my advisor. He was a powerfully built Vietnam veteran, and he was scary. No one ever talked out of turn in his class. Once one kid did and Mr. P. lifted him off the ground and pinned him to the blackboard.

Mr. P. could see that I was in bad shape, and one Friday in October he asked me if I had ever worked out with weights. I told him no. He told me that I was going to take some of the money that I had saved and buy a hundred-pound set of weights at Sears. As I left his office, I started to think of things I would say to him on Monday when he asked about the weights that I was not going to buy. Still, it made me feel special. My father never really got that close to caring. On Saturday I bought the weights, but I couldn’t even drag them to my mom’s car. An attendant laughed at me as he put them on a dolly.

Monday came and I was called into Mr. P.‘s office after school. He said that he was going to show me how to work out. He was going to put me on a program and start hitting me in the solar plexus in the hallway when I wasn’t looking. When I could take the punch we would know that we were getting somewhere. At no time was I to look at myself in the mirror or tell anyone at school what I was doing. In the gym he showed me ten basic exercises. I paid more attention than I ever did in any of my classes. I didn’t want to blow it. I went home that night and started right in.

Weeks passed, and every once in a while Mr. P. would give me a shot and drop me in the hallway, sending my books flying. The other students didn’t know what to think. More weeks passed, and I was steadily adding new weights to the bar. I could sense the power inside my body growing. I could feel it.

Right before Christmas break I was walking to class, and from out of nowhere Mr. Pepperman appeared and gave me a shot in the chest. I laughed and kept going. He said I could look at myself now. I got home and ran to the bathroom and pulled off my shirt. I saw a body, not just the shell that housed my stomach and my heart. My biceps bulged. My chest had definition. I felt strong. It was the first time I can remember having a sense of myself. I had done something and no one could ever take it away. You couldn’t say s—t to me.

It took me years to fully appreciate the value of the lessons I have learned from the Iron. I used to think that it was my adversary, that I was trying to lift that which does not want to be lifted. I was wrong. When the Iron doesn’t want to come off the mat, it’s the kindest thing it can do for you. If it flew up and went through the ceiling, it wouldn’t teach you anything. That’s the way the Iron talks to you. It tells you that the material you work with is that which you will come to resemble. That which you work against will always work against you.

It wasn’t until my late twenties that I learned that by working out I had given myself a great gift. I learned that nothing good comes without work and a certain amount of pain. When I finish a set that leaves me shaking, I know more about myself. When something gets bad, I know it can’t be as bad as that workout.

I used to fight the pain, but recently this became clear to me: pain is not my enemy; it is my call to greatness. But when dealing with the Iron, one must be careful to interpret the pain correctly. Most injuries involving the Iron come from ego. I once spent a few weeks lifting weight that my body wasn’t ready for and spent a few months not picking up anything heavier than a fork. Try to lift what you’re not prepared to and the Iron will teach you a little lesson in restraint and self-control.

I have never met a truly strong person who didn’t have self-respect. I think a lot of inwardly and outwardly directed contempt passes itself off as self-respect: the idea of raising yourself by stepping on someone’s shoulders instead of doing it yourself. When I see guys working out for cosmetic reasons, I see vanity exposing them in the worst way, as cartoon characters, billboards for imbalance and insecurity. Strength reveals itself through character. It is the difference between bouncers who get off strong-arming people and Mr. Pepperman.

Muscle mass does not always equal strength. Strength is kindness and sensitivity. Strength is understanding that your power is both physical and emotional. That it comes from the body and the mind. And the heart.

Yukio Mishima said that he could not entertain the idea of romance if he was not strong. Romance is such a strong and overwhelming passion, a weakened body cannot sustain it for long. I have some of my most romantic thoughts when I am with the Iron. Once I was in love with a woman. I thought about her the most when the pain from a workout was racing through my body.

Everything in me wanted her. So much so that sex was only a fraction of my total desire. It was the single most intense love I have ever felt, but she lived far away and I didn’t see her very often. Working out was a healthy way of dealing with the loneliness. To this day, when I work out I usually listen to ballads.

I prefer to work out alone.

It enables me to concentrate on the lessons that the Iron has for me. Learning about what you’re made of is always time well spent, and I have found no better teacher. The Iron had taught me how to live. Life is capable of driving you out of your mind. The way it all comes down these days, it’s some kind of miracle if you’re not insane. People have become separated from their bodies. They are no longer whole.

I see them move from their offices to their cars and on to their suburban homes. They stress out constantly, they lose sleep, they eat badly. And they behave badly. Their egos run wild; they become motivated by that which will eventually give them a massive stroke. They need the Iron Mind.

Through the years, I have combined meditation, action, and the Iron into a single strength. I believe that when the body is strong, the mind thinks strong thoughts. Time spent away from the Iron makes my mind degenerate. I wallow in a thick depression. My body shuts down my mind.

The Iron is the best antidepressant I have ever found. There is no better way to fight weakness than with strength. Once the mind and body have been awakened to their true potential, it’s impossible to turn back.

The Iron never lies to you. You can walk outside and listen to all kinds of talk, get told that you’re a god or a total bastard. The Iron will always kick you the real deal. The Iron is the great reference point, the all-knowing perspective giver. Always there like a beacon in the pitch black. I have found the Iron to be my greatest friend. It never freaks out on me, never runs.

Friends may come and go. But two hundred pounds is always two hundred pounds.

I mean, just imagine how many looks you’d get from the ladies, if you sported those beach muscles.

And not only during the summer.

That button popping chest and the sleeve ripping arms are sure to attract looks 365 days a year, guaranteed!

So, to help you grow your beach muscles, today, I’m going to show you the push up that builds maximum muscle.

And this type of push up is especially effective for forging an iron chest.

What’s the super-duper push up?

Read on to find out.

How to Make Your Chest Pop Out

From all of the beach muscles, building a big chest is the #1 priority for most guys.

They work their chest hard, but for some reason their chest just doesn’t pop out. It doesn’t have that crucial aesthetic element that makes people go “Wow! I wish I had a chest like that!”

And do you want to know why most guys’ chests don’t have that pop out look?

They lack upper chest development.

Most guys work their lower pecs way too much. Almost all lifts they do for their chest—and the way they do them—work their lower chest more than their upper chest. And this is especially true for regular pushups.

If you want to build a big upper chest, you need to know some chest anatomy 101.

Your chest is made out of 4 muscles:

pectoralis major

pectoralis minor

subclavius

serratus anterior

For the purposes of chest development, the muscle group that interests us the most is the pectoralis major.

Pectoralis major is made out of two main muscles:

Clavicular head (upper chest)

Sternal head (lower chest)

The muscle you need to work on, if you want to build that button-popping chest is the clavicular head.

Sure, working on your lower chest is also important, but the issue with most guys is that they’re doing mostly lifts that target their lower pecs. This leaves the upper pecs underworked and less likely to grow.

And this brings me to the good ol’ push-up.

Pushups are a great exercise, but the way most guys do them is just wrong:

stance too wide

elbows flared out

lack to keep the core tight, etc.

You won’t be building an apex chest anytime soon with bad pushups.

To forge an iron chest, the push-up must also work your clavicular head hard.

So, now the question is …

Which type of pushup, will help you build maximum muscle?

Well, why it’s …

The Diamond Pushups

Nothing beats diamond pushups for building an iron chest.

And not only the chest.

Diamond pushups are also a top-notch exercise to make your triceps grow.

The perfect exercise for building that beach body.

Anyway, the diamond pushups are better than regular pushups for 3 main reasons:

helps you build your upper pecs

targets your triceps better

it’s easier on your body

And since you’ll be doing a ton of diamond pushups, it’s important to nail your diamond pushup technique down to a tee. If you don’t do that, you risk wearing yourself out.

Boost Your Push-Up Strength Even More With The 12-Part Muscle Building Course … It’s FREE!

How to do diamond pushups

Here’s how to do diamond pushups with spot on form:

The setup

start on your hands and knees

bring your hands close together and make a diamond shape

keep your elbows close to your body and screw your hands into the ground—this will help you activate your upper pecs more and stabilize your shoulder joint

bring your legs back and position yourself like you would with a normal push up

And to help you better understand how you should do diamond pushups, here’s a short video that I made just for you. Check it out.

The Diamond Push Up Workout Routine

My experience with diamond pushups has been phenomenal. When doing diamond pushups, I’m really able to feel my upper pecs working and the pump I get in my triceps is off the chain. And since the diamond pushups are easy on your joints, I’m able to train them every day without feeling worn out.

To help you get the most bang out of diamond pushups, here’s a simple yet effective workout routine that I used to add muscle mass to my chest.

It’s nothing fancy, but I’m damn sure this routine will help you pack a great deal of size to your chest—it sure as hell helped me.

Do this routine every day of the week for best possible results. If you feel like you need to rest and recover a bit, take a day off or two.

If you’re not able to do 20 reps in one go, don’t sweat it. Do as many reps as you can and try to beat that number in the next workout. Just make sure you log your sets and reps, so you know what number you have to beat next time.

And if you’re not strong enough to do a single diamond push up, you can do them on your knees.

And if 100 reps of diamond pushups per day is nothing to you, here are some ideas to make your workout more challenging:

put your feet on a bench or chair

use elastic bands

use super-slow reps

What I like to do when doing diamond pushups is to group them with pull-ups or inverted rows and do them back to back—also called a superset. This way, you get to work your upper body in one shot and stimulate more muscle growth.

Remember, consistency is key!

If you want to gain muscle mass on your chest, you’ll have to work out every day. There’s just no substitute for hard work.

Boost Your Push-Up Strength Even More With The 12-Part Muscle Building Course … It’s FREE!

Diamond Pushups Q&A

Q: Should I rest at the bottom or keep the tension?

Yes, definitely keep the tension in your muscles all the time, since time under tension (TUT) is a great muscle-building signal to your body.

Q: Keeping the elbows in puts a LOT of pressure on my wrist when at the bottom. Am I doing something wrong?

Maybe you’re not doing anything wrong and it’s just your wrists that need a bit of toughening up. Let the wrist adapt to the movement and if it doesn’t, try a different hand position. Try maybe having your hands a bit more out.

Q: Sometimes I feel a pain in my shoulder when I do diamond pushups. What may be the cause?

Maybe you have a pulled muscle from before and now the thing is just emphasized when you’re doing diamond pushups. Check if the pain is also present if you’re doing other chest exercises like dips and bench press. If for example you don’t feel any pain doing those exercises, then it’s probably nothing serious. But if you feel pain in all of the chest exercises then check your doctor ASAP.

Q: Do diamond pushups target only the chest and triceps?

When you’re doing diamond pushups, there’s a ton of other muscles that are working to stabilize your body and keep it in a good posture. The more muscles an exercise works, the better the muscle-building signal. Here’s some of the muscles that the diamond pushups work:

chest

deltoids

traps

lats

abs

Q: I can only do 3 or 4 diamond push ups per set. Do I increase the number of sets?

Try to do them as much as you can and if you’re not able to do many diamond pushups, then I suggest you do them on your knees. Once you can bust out 100 reps on your knees, then try to switch to regular diamond pushups and see how it goes. Another alternative would be to do regular pushups until you can do 4 sets of 20 reps with good form. Once you can do that, switch over to diamond pushups.

Q: How long before I see some results?

Here’s the thing … I don’t like telling people how fast they’re going to see results. That’s because I don’t know how much effort you’re going to put into this. But I’ll go out on a limb here and say that if you’re going to stick to the diamond push up routine, you can expect to see progress in 12 weeks or less.

That’s normal because each body part can be more sensitive to strength training than another part. For me, chest is the last thing that will grow. I first see growth in my shoulders and in my arms before I see any growth in the chest. Just keep on doing diamond pushups and soon enough, your chest will also begin to grow.

Your Turn…

Here’s what I want you to do right now.

Print out the diamond push up workout routine and stick that piece of paper somewhere you’ll be able to see every day. This will serve as a reminder to do those 5 sets of 20 reps (100 reps total) of diamond pushups every day.

So, starting today, you’re going to blast 5 sets of diamond pushups. And don’t worry if you can’t do all 5 sets for 20 reps. Do as much as you can and make sure to keep on adding the reps with every workout.

Oh, and I almost forgot … do you have any questions about diamond pushups?

Today, I’m going to share with you proven psychological principles you can use, to outsmart your brain and reach your fitness goals–or any other goal for that matter.

Keep on reading.

How to Game Your Brain With Proven Psychological Principles For Maximum Muscle Gains And Fat Loss

In today’s episode, I interview Ludvig from StartGainingMomentum.com and he shares with us, how you can use proven psychological principles to help you kick-start your fitness progress and keep it going, until you get unstoppable momentum.

Ludvig is an unstoppable momentum machine … so who better to talk about creating killer momentum than the master himself.

Here’s a couple more things you’re going to learn:

How your brain sabotages your life and what you need to do about it

The key ingredient you need to build unstoppable self-confidence

How to use “The Winner Effect” to your advantage

How your everyday habits are sabotaging your life and fitness progress

The super-spice that has 30x more antioxidants than the most powerful antioxidant on the market (this one is completely natural)

And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

To get the full scoop, make sure you listen to the whole Musclecast.

The Musclecast cuts in where me and Ludvig are talking about how video games can mess up your reward system.

So it comes as no surprise that I wanted to be big and strong, just like one of them. Unfortunately for me though, I just didn’t have the know-how on how to do it.

But after watching the new TMNT movie, I think that I finally have it figured out.

Now I know what it takes, to become big and strong, just like a Ninja Turtle.

All you need to do, is follow the 5 key muscle-building lessons I learned from the movie.

Want to know what the lessons are?

Read on to find out.

The Turtles Are Back … Bigger, Faster, Stronger

I saw the movie a few days ago and I must say I like it.

The Turtles look badass, the action scenes are off the chain and Michelangelo is just freaking hilarious.

The only thing I missed though is that the creators of the movie, didn’t spend more time letting the audience get to know the Turtle—one’s a nerd, one’s a skateboarder, one’s the leader, and one’s grumpy. That’s it.

But who knows …

Maybe they’ll spend more time developing the characters in the sequel. We’ll just have to wait and see I guess.

But the biggest reason why I like the movie, is because within the flick, there are many hidden lessons for building muscle mass. And I thought that it’d be awesome idea for me to do a write-up, to share with you what I’ve learned.

So, without further ado …

Here’s what Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles can teach us about building muscle.

It’s Pizza Time!

If you know the Turtles, you know they love pizza.

Their shredded and muscle-bound bodies need all those pizza calories to fuel their crime-fighting stunts. If they were to eat just vegetables and chicken breasts, Shredder would kick their ass in every fight.

And while the Turtles can get away with eating pizzas the whole day, normal guys, like you and I, need to keep it clean when trying to gain muscle mass without the extra fat.

So, unless you have a canister of mutagenic ooze, I suggest that you stick to healthier calorie dense foods like:

white rice

almonds

coconut oil

fatty cuts of meat

whole milk

If you want to get big then you need to train hard and eat big like Michelangelo.

Pick your special weapon

Every ninja turtle has its weapon of choice:

Leonardo wields 2 katanas

Donatello swings a bo staff

Raphael fights with a pair of sais

And Michelangelo owns enemies with a pair of nunchucks

Each turtle chose the weapon they liked the most and they stuck with it.

And just like the Turtles chose their special weapon, you too should choose your special lift.

A lift that you like doing, you’re naturally good at and which most importantly, delivers results.

Test yourself in one of the lifts below and see which exercise feels right for you:

Squat

Deadlift

Dips

Once you know which lift you like the most, train it as much as possible and make the other 2 lifts your “secondary weapons”.

I’m sure that if we could catch a glimpse of the turtle’s sewer gym, we would see them squat, deadlift and dip with a ton of weights.

Consistency is key

If they’re not fighting crime, the Ninja Turtles are in their sewer home working out.

That’s why they’re so big, strong and athletic.

And here’s the thing about their physiques…

They’ve been working out and practicing their crime-fighting skills since the day they were born.

It takes years and years of continued training to become a kick-ass superhero.

You can’t expect to be strong as Raphael if you’re lifting weights once in a while.

Consistency is key.

Face your own Shredder

Everyone has their own Shredder in their lives.

Limiting beliefs.

Limiting beliefs are irrational fears that have no base in reality. They serve as obstacles to attracting what you want. E.g. you want to become bigger and stronger, but something inside of you says that you don’t have the right genetics to make it happen. This results in you giving up trying to achieve your goal.

A few more examples of limiting beliefs, that may be sabotaging your life:

I’m embarrassed to go to the gym, because everybody will see that I’m a begineer

I’m too thin to work out, I’ll never get stronger

I’m too old for this working out thing

It’s OK to have limiting beliefs, it’s in our nature to have them. But what’s not OK, is to let those limiting beliefs run your life. Be aware of your limiting beliefs, but don’t let those thoughts stop you from achieving your goals.

Just look at the Ninja Turtles.

Even though Robo-Shredder was stronger than them, they still had the guts to face him off.

Whatever your limiting belief is, you need to face it head on.

Find your Splinter

Splinter, the Ninja Turtle’s sensei, played a key role in their upbringing.

He taught them how to fight, wield their special weapons, and most importantly, he taught them discipline and self-control.

When you’re first starting out with something, it’s a good idea to hire a “teacher” show you the ropes. This will help you reach your goals faster since you won’t have to waste a ton of time and energy figuring out what works best for you.

So, having a sensei is smart for 3 reasons:

A sensei will help you cut the learning curve

A sensei will keep you accountable

A sensei will help you ward off distractions that may take you off course

But with that said though, every warrior should strive to become his own sensei in the long-run.

After spending a couple of years dieting and training, you’ll just know what works best for you.

Just listen to your body and let it guide you.

Go Ninja Go Ninja Go!

Now that you know what it takes to get big and strong like a Ninja Turtle, it’s time for you to hit the gym.

And In case you have any questions, just ask them in the comments section below.

Btw … have you seen the movie? If you did, let me know how you liked it.

Who is your favorite Turtle? Mine has always been and always will be Donatello :) #geekpower

-Dejan

PS: If you’re looking for a step-by-step guide for building the body of your dreams, I recommend you to check out The Ultimate Muscle Building Blueprint. Everything you need to know, to go from flab to fit in 6 months or less.

They ruin the look of your physique and make you more prone to store body fat.

My love handles for example, scarred my existence for a long time.

I remember that every summer, I didn’t want to go to the beach, because I felt that everybody would laugh at my pear-shaped physique.

But one day, after many years of suffering, I decided that enough is enough.

Fueled by my angst, I set my mind on one single quest—burn my love handles into oblivion.

Over the course of several years I tried every fat-melting tip under the sun, and now I can finally say, that I know what works best for melting love handles away.

The key to getting rid of love handles is to use the top 7 fat-melting tips that I’m about to share with you.

Read on.

What Are Love Handles

Love handles are deposits of excess fat around your waistline.

They sure are a freaking tough nut to crack.

You see, love handles are the last place, where you’ll lose fat. And that’s because your body stores fat in a special way. A way best described with the following phrase:

First in, last out.

When you gain fat, the first place where you’ll see that extra chub land is on your love handles.

But when you’re trying to lose fat, your body will do just the opposite. It’ll first burn fat from your extremities (like face, arms, lower part of the legs) and at the end, it’s going to burn your love handles.

Sucks I know, but that’s just how our bodies work.

There are many biological/evolutionary reasons why we gain fat around our stomach first:

the fat around your stomach keeps you warm

the fat around your stomach shields your internal organs

It’s thousands upon thousands of years of evolution against our desire to look good naked.

So, who’s going to win?

Well, luckily for you my friend, if you want to get rid of love handles, you just need to follow these simple steps.

How to Get Rid of Love Handles: 7 Sure-Fire Ways to Melt Your Love Handles Away

Here’s the deal.

I consider myself to be one of the toughest hardgainers around.

For me, gaining muscle is hard, losing fat is even harder. But despite that, I was still able to transform my physique and get rid of love handles, as you can see in the picture below.

And if I can do it, I’m sure as hell that you can do it too.

The following 7 steps are the best tips I’ve used for burning off the love handles.

Here they are…

Gain Muscle Mass

This is by far the best fat burning tip ever.

Muscles are an active metabolic tissue, which means that they burn energy, even when you’re at rest. So, the more muscle mass you have, the more energy/fat you’ll be able to burn.

By far the best way to gain muscle mass fast, is for you to build a good foundation of strength with the 3 basic lifts:

Squat

Deadlift

Bench press

My suggestion to you is to learn how to squat asap, because high-rep squats will help you get rid of love handles like no other exercise.

High-Intensity Interval Training

High-intensity interval training is a type of training where you do short bursts of hardcore activity followed by a period of lighter activity.

My favorite HIIT activity are hill sprints.

With the hill sprints, you’d blast your way up to the top of the hill and then you’d head back to the starting position. I sprint 30 seconds, to get to the top of the hill and then I head back down to the starting position in 60 to 120 seconds.

You do this for about 30 to 45 minutes per session.

Hill sprints are cool because they’re easy on your body and they make you burn fat, even hours after completing the workout.

A must do if you want to get rid of love handles.

Do Smart Ab exercises

I believe that most ab exercises and ab machines are a complete waste of your time.

They are on this planet for the sole purpose to suck the hard-earned money out of your wallet.

But with that said, there are a few exceptions to the rule—the smart ab exercises.

If you do the smart ab exercises, you’ll be able to build up your abs and obliques and as a result, your love handles will be less noticeable.

My top 3 smart ab exercises, to get rid of love handles are:

the plank

hanging leg raises

ab roller

All 3 exercises are effective and easy to do. For the ab roller exercise you’ll just need a ab wheel, which you can get here from Amazon.

Skip Your Breakfast

If you skip your breakfast, you’ll boost the time you’re in the fasted state.

When your body is in a fasted state, you can get rid of love handles with more ease.

And when you’re in a fasted state, you’ll also get a ton of other fat-burning benefits, like:

increased sensitivity to insulin

increased sensitivity to leptin

you’re going to have higher levels of testosterone

If you skip your breakfast and you eat your first meal around noon, you’re doing an intermittent fasting diet.

It’s a great diet to gain muscle and burn fat, especially for beginners.

And I know what you’re thinking right now…

But Dejan, isn’t breakfast the most important meal of the day?

Well, the short answer is no.

But, if you want find out why breakfast is not the most important meal of the day, I recommend you read this article:

Fix Your Sleep

Your fat-burning and muscle-building hormones peak while you’re asleep. Furthermore, lack of sleep can make you insulin resistant as a guy who’s suffering from diabetes.

As you can see, if your sleep is out of whack, you won’t be able to get rid of love handles.

To fix your sleep for good, hit the hay and wake up every day at the same time. The best way to do this is, if you make your own shut-down ritual and you stick to it every day.

A shut-down ritual has you turning off your electronic devices an hour before bedtime. This will help you relax and unwind from the daily stress, which will help you sleep like a baby.

I’ve been using the shut-down ritual for years now and it works like gangbusters.

Your Turn…

Ok, so you know me.

I’m not going to just write a bunch of random tips and leave you with that.

All the tips I mentioned in this article are important if you want to get rid of love handles. But if I had to chose one tip, that would give you the most bang for your buck, I’d say the “drink only water” tip would win the case.

When you want to get rid of love handles, you need to eat/drink less calories than you consume. Drinking only water will help you do just that.

But you’re definitely encouraged to use all the tips, for the best possible results.
Any questions, comments or suggestions?